Commuters forced to cope with rising gasoline prices

Gas prices are on the rise, while the amount of money in students’ pockets is on the decline. The price increase for a gallon of gas is a strain on every student’s wallet – especially the commuters.

This particular group of students does not have the luxury of walking to class from a nearby dorm room.

Every now and then a student can be spotted riding his or her bike down the road from an off-campus apartment, but for the most part commuters are stuck driving a vehicle to class.

The average gas price in Louisiana  last week was $3.599. The national average gas price is about 20 cents higher.

There’s the silver lining: It could be worse.

Some commuting ULM students have had to change their spending habits in order to adjust to the rising gas prices.

“I’ve just had to cut back on spending all together. I don’t shop or go out quite as much,” said Sarah Bonner, a senior construction management major from Bastrop.

Bonner drives 30 minutes just to get to school and pays about $180 a month on gas alone.

If gas prices continue to rise, it could mean a not-so- fun summer vacation for many students. This time commuters will not be the only ones affected.

“I wouldn’t be able to go on any trips, and it would limit how often I go back home because I live far away,” said Matthew Lee, a commuter and senior criminal justice major from Clinton. Lee also said he would have to work more just to pay for gas. Even now, Lee says he hardly has any free time because he has to work to pay off the gas bill.

One way students can cut back on gas costs is by visiting the website LouisianaGasPrices.com, which is a site that shows the cheapest places to find gas in the surrounding area.

All anyone has to do is enter his or her zip code, and the site will generate a list of gas stations and their current prices.

Another way to avoid pricey gasoline is to invest in a good old-fashioned bicycle.